Koreatown, Korean cultural district in Midtown Manhattan, United States
Koreatown lies along 32nd Street between Fifth Avenue and Broadway, encompassing over 150 Korean businesses spread across multiple floors of commercial buildings. Restaurants often occupy upper stories and share space with bookstores, travel agencies, and souvenir shops.
Korean immigrants founded the first restaurants and bookstores in the 1980s near the Garment District, laying the foundation for the development of the neighborhood. Growth of the Korean community in the following decades led to rapid expansion of businesses along 32nd Street.
Korean grocery stores and beauty shops offer authentic products while karaoke venues create an environment reminiscent of Seoul streets. Hangul script adorns storefronts and billboards, and Korean pop music plays from many shops.
The area remains active during the day and night, with many establishments operating around the clock and several subway stations providing easy access. Some restaurant entrances are located at street level while others can be reached through corridors inside buildings.
Many signs on buildings are labeled only in Korean, so visitors sometimes rely on recommendations or reviews to find businesses. The density of businesses per square meter is among the highest in Manhattan.
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